1. Field of the Present System
The present system is directed to a graphical user interface allowing users to interface with a computer operating system and/or application programs running in conjunction with the operating system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Computer operating systems frequently employ a graphical user interface (“GUI”) to convey information to users over a display by various combinations of graphical items, such as icons, text, drop-down menus, dialog boxes, and toolbars. A GUI provides an interface to the operating system, and to application programs running in conjunction with the operating system. The goal of most user interfaces is to provide a rich user experience where the user can quickly and easily access a wide variety of operating system and/or application program functions.
Certain application programs, such as for example word processing and desk top publishing application programs, treat elements of content including text and/or graphics as content objects. One type of content object is a text box. The text box is treated as a graphic object by the application program, but can contain text that may be easily sized and positioned for example to frame inserted objects such as diagrams, flowcharts and schematics. A known feature of text boxes is that they may be linked together in a chain. Where a first text box is linked to a second text box, any text not fitting within the second text box as sized will automatically “spill over” into and populate the first text box. Linked text box chains of any desired length may be formed, with text from upstream text boxes spilling over into the downstream text boxes in the sequential order in which the text boxes are linked.
At present, text boxes do not include useful notation or visual aids for showing which text boxes are linked to which, nor do they provide a useful indication of the order in which text boxes are linked. Moreover, existing linked text box chains may be broken and new ones are formed. However, when forming and breaking text box links, it is often difficult to know which text boxes are part of the chain being formed or broken. Without a system of effective visual aids, the use of text boxes and text box chains may become confusing and difficult to manage.